When I started searching for a cheaper alternative for housing at WKU, I couldn’t have guessed that the result would make me the landlord of my own house.

College housing costs students living on campus thousands of dollars per year. For students without other options, it can cost tens of thousands before the student’s four years at WKU are complete.

As I moved in freshman year to my dorm, I also moved in with debt. I felt as if I came with one suitcase full of loans and another, somewhat smaller duffle bag full of scholarships.

Living in a dorm was fine with me, but after a semester I put on my thinking cap and started searching for a cheaper way to live on or near campus.

Not much turned up, but when my aunt told me about her moving and how she had recently filed for disability, I thought there might be another option.

My aunt, who lived alone with multiple extra rooms, was only a short car ride away from Bowling Green, and staying with her would benefit us both. One letter to Housing and Residence Life later, and I was off campus as a sophomore.

Soon after, we started to look for tenants to rent the extra rooms. Within the next year, three renters moved in and my aunt moved out. This caused my parents to buy the house and made me the landlord.

Being a landlord is an interesting experience to say the least. I have had to deal with keeping up with the yard, making sure the pets of the house are still living and also solving my tenant’s problems.

I have gone through multiple creepy renters before I found ones I could trust. I have had to deal with drunk tenants ranging from a tenant passing out in the backyard to one drunkenly asking me out — trust me, I said no. I have also had to deal with walking in on a tenant buying weed in the middle of the living room.

Although being a landlady can be taxing at times, I like to believe there is a good side to this job. For example, the house costs about $850 per month, not counting taxes, so the tenants help me pay to live there. I’ve also found two new tenants whom I enjoy living with.

Being a landlady has allowed me to experience life off campus as well as what it really means to be a homeowner, though I have had plenty of help from my parents.

Although the yard could use some work, the inside could be cleaned more and there might be something dead in the air vent, this house has been a great staple in my life.